Does your wife or husband need A1 German for the German spouse visa?
Short answer
Yes, unless an exemption applies. The German Missions in Nigeria ask spouses for an A1 German certificate not older than one year, from the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD if you sit the exam in Nigeria. A BAMF leaflet lists exemptions, for example when the partner in Germany holds an EU Blue Card.
On this page
- Short answer
- What level of German does a spouse need?
- Who is exempt from the A1 requirement?
- Spouses of skilled workers: what BAMF's 2024 page adds
- Do spouses of German citizens need A1?
- Which A1 certificates do Lagos, Abuja and Accra accept?
- Who decides, and will they test your German at the interview?
- People also ask
- Related questions
- Sources
What level of German does a spouse need?
The German Missions in Nigeria list A1 as the level for family reunification with a spouse. The German Embassy Accra asks for a recent A1 certificate from an ALTE-certified language school (ALTE is the Association of Language Testers in Europe).
The BAMF (Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) explains what A1 means in a leaflet that the Nigeria missions link to. You should understand and use everyday expressions and very simple sentences, introduce yourself, and answer questions such as where you live. You should also be able to write a little, like your name, address and nationality on a form.
You prove this before you enter Germany, normally when you apply for the visa.
Who is exempt from the A1 requirement?
The BAMF leaflet was last revised in March 2023. BAMF's newer page (March 2024, below) adds detail, so treat this list as a starting point and confirm your case with the mission. The leaflet says you do not normally need proof of German if one of these applies:
- Your spouse in Germany holds an EU Blue Card or an ICT Card (for staff transferred within a company).
- Your spouse holds a residence permit as a skilled worker, a researcher, a self-employed person, a senior executive, manager, company specialist, scientist, guest researcher or teacher. For researchers and self-employed people, you must have been married before the move to Germany.
- Your spouse is a long-term resident from another EU country.
- Your spouse has asylum, refugee status or subsidiary protection, and you were already married in your home country before they moved to Germany.
- Your spouse is a citizen of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco or San Marino.
- You or your spouse are an EU citizen, or you have used your right of free movement as a German citizen.
- You have a university degree and, in the leaflet's words, can probably find work in Germany thanks to your language skills.
- You do not plan to stay in Germany for good.
- Learning German abroad is impossible or unreasonable for you, or you tried and did not succeed.
- An illness or disability stops you from proving basic German.
- Other special circumstances make learning German impossible or unreasonable and could justify a hardship case.
Sources for this part2
Spouses of skilled workers: what BAMF's 2024 page adds
BAMF's page on joining a non-German family member, dated 1 March 2024, says spouses of skilled workers or highly-qualified persons do not need to prove simple German before entering. It also says spouses of long-term residents from another EU country can come without simple German if the marriage already existed in that country.
The leaflet itself says it cannot show every possible exception and tells you to ask the visa office.
Do spouses of German citizens need A1?
BAMF's page on joining a German family member says spouses generally need basic German. It lists exceptions: you tried to learn German for a year without success, there are no German courses in your country, or the courses are too expensive or you cannot attend them for other reasons.
If you come without German, the same page says you must learn it in Germany.
Sources for this part4
Which A1 certificates do Lagos, Abuja and Accra accept?
Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja): the missions accept only certificates from institutions that test to ALTE standards. If you take the exam in Nigeria, they accept only the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch, the Austrian German exam). The embassy and consulate do not run language exams.
The Nigeria missions do not accept certificates older than one year. You can take the four modules (reading, listening, speaking, writing) separately and submit them together. The certificate only counts once all four are passed, and the oldest module result must be under one year old.
Ghana (Accra): the embassy asks for a recent A1 certificate from an ALTE-certified language school. Its spouse page does not say how recent, and it does not mention exemptions.
Who decides, and will they test your German at the interview?
The BAMF leaflet says the mission where you apply alone decides whether to accept your proof of German. If it is clear in your interview that you have basic German, no separate certificate is needed.
Applicant reports: Bukola, who interviewed at the Lagos consulate, says her husband held an EU Blue Card, so she was not asked for a certificate. She says the officer asked whether she spoke German. Dora, who also interviewed in Lagos, says applicants who bring an A1 certificate can expect the officer to test it, for example by asking them to talk about themselves in German.
Reading the answer is the easy part. Say it out loud.
The officer will ask about this. Answer in your own words, then read what your answer missed. Your first practice interview is free.
Practise saying it out loudPeople also ask
Does my wife need A1 if I have an EU Blue Card?
The BAMF leaflet (last revised March 2023) lists an EU Blue Card held by the spouse in Germany as an exemption. The mission where you apply decides, so confirm with them. 2
How long is an A1 certificate valid for the visa in Nigeria?
The German Missions in Nigeria do not accept certificates older than one year. If you took the modules separately, the oldest module result must be under one year old. 1
Can I write the A1 exam at the German embassy or consulate?
No. The German Missions in Nigeria say they do not run language exams. If you take the exam in Nigeria, they accept only the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD. 1
Can I join my German husband or wife without A1?
BAMF lists exceptions for spouses of Germans: a year of unsuccessful effort to learn, no courses in your country, or courses that are too expensive or that you cannot attend. If you come without German, you must learn it in Germany. 4
Sources
- 1Language skillsOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 2Proof of knowledge of basic German for spousal reunification from abroad (last revised 03/2023)OfficialFederal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), hosted by the German Missions in Nigeria · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 3Subsequent immigration to join third-country nationals (01/03/2024)OfficialFederal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 4Subsequent immigration to join German family members (01/03/2024)OfficialFederal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 5Family reunion to a spouseOfficialGerman Embassy Accra · checked 23 Oct 2026
- 6Nigerian spouse's family reunion interview in Lagos (Blue Card sponsor)Applicant reportsThe Bukola Kadiri Channel, YouTube · checked 12 Oct 2026
- 7Family reunion interview day in Lagos and about 50 common questionsApplicant reportsDorathy Udoisoh, YouTube · checked 12 Oct 2026
Official is the embassy or a German government page. Applicant reports are what applicants say happened at their appointment. Secondary is everything else we checked.
General information, not legal advice. VisaRoom isn't connected to any embassy or government, and only the embassy decides on your visa. Something out of date? Tell us.